POWERFUL PRAYER
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Scripture Reading: James 5:16-18
The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
James 5:16
“Prayer changes things!” Maybe you’ve heard that statement before. Maybe you’ve heard ministers preach on today’s verse: “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Maybe you’ve heard testimonies of people who said “the power of prayer” affected their own lives or the lives of others. And you want to believe what the Bible teaches about prayer.
But sometimes that’s difficult. Maybe there have been times when you prayed, and nothing seemed to happen. Why would God answer one person’s prayer while apparently ignoring the prayer of someone else? How could it be that within a church family a newborn baby was miraculously brought back from near death, when just a few weeks earlier a toddler had died of illness in spite of the many prayers of the same people?
There is no human answer to such questions. But one thing we know is that God hears each one of our prayers when we call on him. And God answers our prayers. God is a listening God, but he answers in his own way, according to his plans. As God reveals through the prophet Isaiah: “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways” (Isaiah 55:8). Someday when Jesus comes again, perhaps we’ll see how God has answered our prayers, and we may also understand more about the ways God works through our prayers.
Prayer
Father in heaven, help us to believe the teaching in your Word about prayer. Teach us how to pray, and help us to discern your answers, in line with your will. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Father, thank You for the Holy Spirit carrying our soul’s yearnings to You, transforming our thoughts and heart’s desires so as to transform us. Thank You for this great blessing, that we may commune with You always, at any time, every moment…until that time when we come to be with You, eternally.
Lord, thank you for your tender mercies and lovingkindness.thank you for all the prayers that you do answer. let us not lean onto our own understanding for the prayers that seemed not answered for in due time we shall have them. for it is through the power of your Spirit that our prayers are answered according to your perfectwill.N JESUS’ NAME AMEN
My Lord and My God, We come to you Lord with praise on our lips and love for you in our heart. We thank you Lord, we love you Lord, and we lift your name on high. We pray in the spirit knowing that whatever we ask in your precious son’s name we shall receive . Teach us how to pray Lord. Let not our prayers be shallow. I know that you Father hear my prayers and you will answer them in your own time not mine. Thank you Lord for your grace and for your mercy. AMEN.